Reader Review: 2014 Toyota Prius V

Mary Caldwell, of Calgary, got a chance to test drive the The Toyota Prius V hybrid.

PHOTO: Ted Rhodes, Calgary Herald

2014 Toyota Prius V

PHOTO: Rob Rothwell, Driving

2014 Toyota Prius V

PHOTO: Rob Rothwell, Driving

Toyota Prius V

PHOTO: Ted Rhodes, Calgary Herald

2014 Toyota Prius V

PHOTO: Rob Rothwell, Driving

2014 Toyota Prius V

PHOTO: Rob Rothwell, Driving

2014 Toyota Prius V

PHOTO: Rob Rothwell, Driving

2014 Toyota Prius V

PHOTO: Rob Rothwell, Driving

2014 Toyota Prius V

PHOTO: Rob Rothwell, Driving

2014 Toyota Prius V

PHOTO: Rob Rothwell, Driving

2014 Toyota Prius V

PHOTO: Rob Rothwell, Driving

2014 Toyota Prius V

PHOTO: Rob Rothwell, Driving

For this city driver, Toyota's roomy hybrid wagon proved to be versatile, smooth and frugal

By Greg Williams

Originally published: July 9, 2014

SMALL

MEDIUM

LARGE

It’s been almost 15 years since hybrid vehicles hit Canadian roads.

And one of the largest players in this field is currently Toyota with its Prius family of hybrid cars, including the wagon-like Prius V.

Calgary driver Mary Caldwell, although curious enough a year or so ago about alternative propulsion to test drive an all-electric Nissan Leaf, had never before piloted a hybrid. So, we put her behind the wheel of the 2014 Toyota Prius V. She tested the car for a week in real-world driving conditions, both in the city and on the highway.

2014 Toyota Prius VRob Rothwell, Driving

“I didn’t treat it any differently because it was a hybrid,” Caldwell says of her experience.

Toyota initially launched the Prius in 1997 in Japan before bringing it to North America in 2000. The car, with its combined gasoline engine/electric motor powertrain, has since gone through three generations of development, and the number of models has also increased. Now, in Canada, there’s the Prius, the Prius V, the Plug-in Prius and the compact Prius C.

The Prius V brings increased cargo space to the game – as much as 50% more, according to Toyota, than the Prius sedan. And the automaker says the V stands for versatility.

There’s more room to carry bulkier items or haul more luggage. But, at its core, the V’s most important attribute is the Toyota hybrid system, which consists of a 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine, a high-torque electric motor, a high-capacity storage battery and an intelligent power management controller.

2014 Toyota Prius VRob Rothwell, Driving

Toyota says this drive combination delivers 134 net system horsepower, and shifts between gas engine, electric motor or a combination of the two as warranted by driving conditions.

Toyota puts power to ground through a continuously variable transmission, which should provide enough torque for acceleration through a large speed range. Of course, it’s all about fuel economy, and Toyota states a miserly 4.5 litres per 100 kilometres in combined city and highway driving.

Remember Caldwell, who said she didn’t drive the Prius V any differently because of its hybrid powertrain? According to her calculations, the V returned 5.83 L/100 km over the duration of her test.

Caldwell grew up just north of Toronto, and her truck-driving father taught her how to drive.

“There was an old horse racing track nearby, and I had to learn how to drive in reverse around the barns before I learned to go forward,” Caldwell recalls.

2014 Toyota Prius VRob Rothwell, Driving

Her own first car was a Volvo 544, which soon gave way to a brand new Mercury Capri. She and her husband, Byron, drove across Canada in 1976 when they moved to Alberta, and a succession of vans and cars were used as they raised two children.

Currently, there’s a 2009 Ford Ranger and a 2006 BMW 325i in the driveway. Caldwell uses the Ranger on a daily basis, and she also has a 2007 Suzuki V-Strom motorcycle. In her own vehicles she likes a standard shift transmission, a degree of torque, and some technology including Bluetooth integration.

“Stuff like a rear view camera I can leave behind,” she says.

The Prius V tested by Caldwell was a base model, and cost $29,233.45 including freight, PDI and other fees, but not sales tax.

There are three packages available to upgrade the Prius V, including the Luxury Package, the Touring Package and the Touring + Technology Package. Each adds niceties, such as heated seats and navigation in the Luxury, 17-inch aluminum wheels and panoramic sunroof in the Touring, and dynamic radar cruise control and intelligent parking in the Touring + Technology.

2014 Toyota Prius VRob Rothwell, Driving

Caldwell’s first impression of the V was of the wagon-esque styling, which suited her sensibilities, plus she liked the sleek design of the Toyota’s profile.

Getting into the car proved easy and there was plenty of legroom for the driver.

“I’m 5’7”, and it was easy to get comfortable in the manually adjustable seat,” Caldwell says. “While I’ve got long legs, I’m short in the torso and my head never reaches the top of the head rest. Such was the case in the Prius V.”

Caldwell liked the cloth seating surfaces, and thought the plastics used on the dash and doors looked good and felt pleasing to the touch.

She was able to familiarize herself with the controls very quickly, but she says the information display in the middle of the dash became somewhat distracting after the car got moving out on the road.

“There was so much information, and the information keeps changing,” Caldwell says. “I found it drew my eyes away from the road.”

Driving in the city, Caldwell says the electric motor performed most of the chores.

2014 Toyota Prius VRob Rothwell, Driving

“Unless you were really heavy on the accelerator, and that would bring in the gas engine,” she says. “Regardless, I never had any issues thinking that I wasn’t going to get away fast enough from a light or an intersection.

“On the highway, the Prius V had plenty of power, but the gas engine can be quite noisy when you put your foot into it.”

The continuously variable transmission worked well, and the brakes were easy to modulate.

Handling was good, Caldwell says, and she felt well connected to the road and the car always went where she pointed it. The suspension soaked up the bumps, and provided for a controlled ride.

With the rear seats folded forward the Prius V provided a very level cargo floor. Caldwell figures the Prius V is, as Toyota says, versatile, and would best suit a young urban couple with children going to soccer or hockey.

“There’s lots of room to be a carpool mom, and it has great gas mileage – even when I drive it,” she says. “I’m not completely sold on the hybrid powertrain because, although it does have some torque, it just doesn’t have enough for my preference.”

Caldwell drove a group of her friends west to Canmore, and based on that ride, she says, “Two of my good friends planned to visit a Toyota dealership to investigate the Prius further. They liked it quite a bit.”

Day One Picked up car at 3 p.m. Drove 40 km to get home—found the information on the dash distracting. The speedometer has large numbers that keep changing. The drive mode indicator keeps changing as well. I would prefer the information in front of the steering wheel rather than looking to the middle of the dash. Picked up groceries on the way home.

Day Two I had to run errands in Shawnessy and Springbank. Put on 30 km in the city, then 74 km on the highway to Bragg Creek via Highway 22X. Came back via Highway 8 and 1 to Springbank and home. Noisy on highway when I step on gas to speed up. Seems like there’s more power to pass at 100 km/h then at 80 km/h. Nice smooth ride though.

Day Three Attended a wedding. Was not able to put many miles on car but did learn that I could not lock the keys in the car.

Day Three Running errands around the city. The car handled well in the bad weather.

Day Four Attended a couple of events in the city. My husband was pleased with the gas mileage.

Day Five We are looking for a place to rent, so I was in areas of the city I hadn’t been in for years. The car is nice to drive and park in tight spaces.

Day Six General errands around the city. Groceries, etc. I have driven 384 km to this point on 22.63 litres of gas. About 5.89 L/100 km.

Day Seven Drove to Canmore with three girlfriends. About 200 km round trip. My friends in the back did comment on the great legroom. Washed car and returned after driving 601 km.

General Comments

Likes
-Little gearshift. I think all automatic cars should have these as they take up far less room.
-Push-button start and stop without having to put key in the dash.
-Great gas mileage. Overall I got 5.93 L/100 km.
-Ease of synching my Bluetooth phone to the car.
-Large space in back of car both with the back seats folded down and with them up.
-Ability to unlock and open door without having to use the key.
-Inability to lock keys in the car by using the lock on the door.

Dislikes

-I found the dash distracting. It is very busy and changing all the time, especially the large speed numbers. It may not be so distracting if it was in front of the driver instead of in the centre of the dashboard.
-I found I had a blind spot on the passenger side, probably a result of my height in the car. The backseat headrest seemed to be in my way.
-As with almost all newer vehicles I have a hard time getting in a comfortable position. I have a short torso so my head is not high enough to hit the headrest properly. Therefore my head is always forced forward while driving.
-It makes a loud beeping when in reverse. I suspect it is required because the car is quiet.
-Noisy when stepping on gas to speed up, for example, to pass someone on the highway.